DragonKnight (38 page)

The subject of their conversation danced toward them, hopping, skipping, and twirling. “Come on! You’re almost there.”

They followed her around a hedge and spotted Regidor inspecting a section at the base of what looked like a cliff.

After placing Fenworth in the shade, they gathered around the meech dragon. He showed them the camouflaged entry. The tumanhofers and Toopka sat down to watch as Lyll, Cam, Regidor, and Kale worked to open the door. Cam assigned each wizard a range of colored threads to manipulate. Bardon scouted the area to make sure this important work wouldn’t be interrupted by grawligs.

Kale had never seen such a complicated weave. She had to concentrate to keep the strands from slipping away from her. Sometimes, it was a matter of holding hers in one place while another wizard moved his strands. She smiled as she realized her mother was the best at unwinding the threads.

“Just like untangling a mess of necklaces or yarn when you’re knitting,” her mother said.

“I try not to let my knitting get in a tangle,” said Cam.

“I rarely wear necklaces,” said Regidor.

Lyll chortled and directed Cam to move his threads through a loop in Regidor’s strand.

In the end, they had the colors isolated and tied off. Regidor gave a push against the door, and it swung open.

Librettowit and Bromptotterpindosset lifted Fenworth and carried him in after the others. They stood in a vast entryway with tapestries and huge oil paintings on the walls, a two-sided, curved stairway before them, and a marble floor done in many colors, much like a mosaic.

Regidor tilted his head. “Odd.”

Lyll’s eyes swept the room as she nodded. “Definitely.”

Cam breathed in deeply and expelled the air slowly. “We must proceed with caution.”

Kale felt goose bumps rise on her arms, and a shiver tingled her spine. “There’s someone in the castle now, isn’t there?”

“Yes,” said Regidor and drew his sword.

         
50
         

I
N THE
C
ASTLE
O
NCE
M
ORE

Bardon also pulled his sword. Behind him he heard the swish of metal leaving leather. He glanced at Kale and saw she had her hand in front of her as if she held a sword, but nothing was there. A quick look at her mother showed she stood in the same position. They had invisible weapons. Bardon had seen Lyll Allerion wield her sword in a fight with mordakleeps. He presumed she had trained Kale to use the weapon just as effectively.

“How many people are in the castle?” he asked.

“Hard to say,” Regidor answered. “They’re scattered all over this wing.”

“We’re in the part of the castle where the Knights’ Chamber is located, right?”

“Right.”

“Let’s escort the wizards, Taylaminkadot, and Toopka there. Then, we’ll determine who is to stay and work on breaking the spell, and who will go looking for intruders.”

Regidor nodded. Bardon looked over his shoulder to see if his party was ready to go. Kale and her mother had changed into matching outfits that would not hinder their movements during a fight. Instead of the loose clothing that had been comfortable for a long hike, they now wore fitted garments of a blue material that stretched easily. Toopka clung to Taylaminkadot’s hand. Cam brought up the rear. The old wizard only had his staff for a weapon, but Bardon knew he could count on Cam to punish an attacker with more than just a blow from a stick.

The mapmaker’s red face and the perspiration dripping off his brow warned Bardon something was wrong.

“Bromptotterpindosset?”

“I don’t relish carrying this tree up those stairs.”

Bardon looked to Lyll and Kale, who flanked the tumanhofers carrying Fenworth. “Can you do something about that?”

They nodded in unison, then turned to face the tree. In a moment it floated.

Lyll smiled. “Now all you have to do is guide Fenworth, instead of carrying him.”

The group climbed the right side of the curving steps. Each one moved with great stealth. The only noise came from Fenworth’s occasional snore. Toopka jumped each time a snort broke the silence.

They passed down a hall with family portraits hanging on both sides, then up another stairway, this one only six feet wide and straight. Regidor and Bardon continued to lead the way. They listened at each passage that branched off from the main corridor.

At the first of these junctions, Bardon glanced at Kale. She met his eye and, by giving a small shake of her head, confirmed she did not feel the presence of another being outside their own little group. No one lurked down the hall.

Are you ready?
he asked.

“Yes, I feel our connection as if we hadn’t been apart these three years.”

Bardon relaxed some, knowing he and Kale had entered into a state that, as far as they knew, only the two of them had ever experienced. Both alert. Both thinking along the same lines. They knew from past experience that if a fight broke out, they would react as if their movements were synchronized, thought out by one mind instead of two.

The group climbed another set of stairs and came to a third-floor hallway. Regidor mindspoke to each of them, saying they sought the room at the end of this corridor.

Light poured from the open door and made a bright patch on the dusty hall runner. The carpet’s colors of burgundy red and deep green struggled to show through a layer of fine dirt. The thick pile muffled their almost silent footsteps. Bardon signaled the men and women behind to stop. With a nod of his head, he indicated that Regidor and Kale should go with him.

They crept to the edge of the door, all three tensing.

“Bardon.”

The squire cocked an eyebrow, hearing Kale’s voice as clearly as if she had spoken aloud.

“There’s a woman in the room. She’s filled with sorrow. I don’t think she’s dangerous.”

Regidor tilted his head and suddenly relaxed. He shoved his sword into its sheath. “Granny Kye.”

Bardon put away his weapon and signaled the rest to come.

He stepped into the room so as not to startle the old emerlindian. She sat at her easel and concentrated on the picture she drew. He spoke softly, “Granny Kye?”

She frowned but did not look up.

He moved closer and touched her shoulder. “Granny Kye.”

She glanced at him. “There you are. I’ve found him. My son.” She raised a handkerchief to her trembling lips. “And my other son. The one I’ve thought dead. Twins.” She nodded toward one stonelike knight and then another. “If we don’t wake them soon, they will surely be gone forever.”

He knelt beside her and put his arms around her thin shoulders. “There is hope, Granny Kye. I’ve brought four more wizards besides Regidor, and a learned gentleman who will search this castle’s library.”

She nodded and rested her forehead against his chest. A little sob broke from her throat. “We’re so close to saving them. We must not fail.”

“How did you get here?”

“Captain Anton said it was time for us to return to Dormenae. The moonbird brought Regidor’s message, but another full day had passed. The captain said we would leave in the morning, but during the night, the voices spoke to Sittiponder. He said they were most urgent. We must follow you and Regidor into the warren. Captain Anton was reluctant, but the boy convinced him. Sittiponder led the way.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Three days.”

His breath caught in his throat, but Bardon merely nodded. Obviously, his and Regidor’s accounting of time had been influenced by the enchantment of the castle and the surrounding area.

Bardon looked at the painting of Granny Kye’s two sons. Although the knights stood as they did in actuality, and their clothing represented what he could see with his eyes, the portraits revealed vibrant life. In reality the figures slumped with their chins resting on their chests. In the portrait, they were pictured as awake. Each man’s eyes looked out from the canvas instead of being shut in perpetual slumber. Their expressions showed an eagerness to spring from the two-dimensional world and perhaps embrace their mother.

When Bardon stood, the son on the right seemed to watch him. A shiver ran down the squire’s spine. He crossed behind Granny Kye to stand at her other shoulder. The eyes of the one knight followed him.

“Which one is N’Rae’s father?” he asked.

“This one.” The old emerlindian pointed to the man on the left. “Jilles. His name is Sir Jilles.” Her head turned slightly, and her finger moved to the other man in the painting. “And this is my eldest son, by a few minutes. Joffa. Sir Joffa. Their father was Jofil. I thought I was very clever when I named them.”

Bardon rested his hand on her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. “We will do our best to wake them.” The portrait of Sir Joffa stared at Bardon, and now the expression held a deep sadness. The living, breathing squire gave himself a little shake to break loose of the feeling that the picture would speak if it could. He glanced up at the still, cold knight, who appeared not to breathe at all.

“Where are the others, Granny Kye? N’Rae, Holt, the boys, the guard?” he asked.

“They spend the days exploring. No one has found a way to get out of the castle. All the doors are locked. All the windows are sealed.”

Behind him, he heard Lyll Allerion and Kale speaking in muted tones. He turned to see the lady wizard kneeling beside a seated knight, her head in his stiff lap.

In a few steps, Bardon reached Kale and touched her elbow. She turned toward him, and he naturally enclosed her in his arms. Her arms came around his middle, and she held on as if she would fall without his support. His embrace tightened as she melted against him and cried.

He leaned his cheek against her hair and breathed in the fresh citrus smell of her. Affection and a fierce desire to protect her surged through him. He moved his chin a fraction of an inch and placed his lips against her temple, sure that she would not notice such an insignificant kiss.

He looked at Lyll and the sleeping knight.

“Your father?” Bardon asked.

Kale nodded and sniffed. Reaching into his pocket, he brought out a handkerchief and offered it. Kale took it with one hand but kept herself tucked close while she blew her nose.

“Mother said when she heard about the sleeping knights, she hoped my father would be among them. She knew Risto had captured him and cast a spell over him. No one had seen him fall in battle. No one knew where he had gone from the last inn where she had traced him. Then she heard the rumor of Risto’s mastering this sleep spell and that my father was under Risto’s power. But no word as to where these men were. But she was afraid to think she had found him at last. Afraid he would not be among those sleeping here.”
She swallowed another sob.
“Now she has new fears. She’s found him, and she is afraid we will not be able to wake him.”

Bardon turned Kale so she could see what the others were doing.
Look, Kale. Cam and Fen are at work. Librettowit already has found a reference book and is comparing what they see to the knowledge that is written in its pages. They will break the spell. I’m sure of it.

She leaned back to look at him, and a brave, but tiny, smile lifted her lips. Bardon fought the urge to kiss away a tear that traced a path down her cheek.

He let her go, pushing her away.

“We must find the others. Pull yourself together, Kale.” He turned to Regidor, who examined the tumanhofer knight. “Reg, Kale and I are going to make a sweep through the castle and round up all the members of our questing party and return here.”

“Locate the library,” ordered Librettowit.

“And the kitchen,” said Taylaminkadot.

“I want to come too.” Toopka ran to stand at Kale’s knee.

The three walked briskly out of the room. Six multicolored minor dragons accompanied them, sometimes flying around their heads, sometimes flying ahead or behind them, and sometimes resting on available shoulders, heads, or arms.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Bardon muttered, “I don’t understand how they could have been in the castle for three days and never found the way out through the turret Regidor and I used.”

“Don’t forget,” said Kale, “you had Regidor helping you. He probably did more untangling of spells than you were even aware of. It’s exciting for me to watch him work.”

“So your relationship as Dragon Keeper and young protégé has changed, has it?”

“Definitely. Can you imagine anyone ‘keeping’ Regidor?”

Toopka hopped in anticipation. “Maybe we’ll find something exciting.”

“We found enchanted knights, little one,” said Kale. “What could be more exciting than that?”

“Treasure!”

“Actually,” said Bardon, “Regidor and I saw quite a bit of valuable property, paintings and gold candlesticks, things like that.”

“Any gold coins? Any jewels?”

“No.”

“Well, we can look for real treasure in a box or hidden in a hole in the wall. And we could find a castle monster. That would be exciting too.” Toopka shivered in imaginary fear.

“Only if we defeated it without injury to one of us.”

“Oh, you and the others could protect us from anything.”

“You think so?”

“Yes.” She nodded her head with such a hard jerk, Bardon expected her to say, “Ouch.”

Kale scratched the top of Toopka’s head between her two perked ears. “Suppose you find the monster, the monster eats you, and then we come along a few minutes too late to save you.”

“Then you must cut open its stomach and pull me out. I’ll hold my breath till you come.”

“That sounds like a slimy thing to do.” Kale laughed. “I’d just as soon not deal with any monsters, thank you very much.”

“Oh, I want to see a big, hairy monster.” Toopka grinned and twirled, then stopped and winked at the adults. “But I really don’t want to be eaten. You better come along before he chomps me.”

Bardon laughed. “We’ll try.”